ute of thinking is the only quality that he can justifiably claim at this point. But he is quick to point out that thinking is the only attribute about which he is sure; not that thinking is the only attribute that he has. Nevertheless, this is the starting point of a radical ontological distinction that carries Descartes through his Meditations. That distinction is between a thinking thing and a corporeal body. The two are mutually exclusive. A thinking thing is nonphysical or spiritual in nature, whereas a corporeal body is physical, but not capable of consciousness or thought. For Descartes, a thinking thing is consciously aware of what is around it and doubts, understands some, is ignorant of most, imagines, and feels.Once Descartes established himself as a thinking thing, his attention turns to the external world. Descartes reflects upon his dealing with physical objects, and questions the state of physical nature, dealing directly with the senses. Restating the fact that Descartes believes that these sensations of taste, touch, smell, and the like can be fooled, he attacks these bodily perceptions, not from the point of what makes them true, but rather what makes them false. These senses lead him to ideas of external objects, which he claims to perceive clearly and distinctly, yet he is not willing to trust his senses; he is not willing to state truthfully that he is positive these things exist. In doubting all that exists, a sort of intellectual barrier had been erected, forcing Descartes thoughts into narrow constraints. In order for his question be answered, these constraints had to be lifted. It was in a state of wandering mind that the wax passage was conceived. The wax passage itself is a simple piece of writing, and a simple train of thought to follow. The essence of the passage is that Descartes believes, and attempts to convince the reader that the clear and distinct ideas one might have of objects external ...
